Utah and learning new things

I went to Utah! 

Yep, last week I flew out on Tuesday morning with Eli in tow to SLC, Utah for a week. First of all, I hadn't planned on bringing Elijah but of course the day before I'm set to leave he developed a high fever. Thank goodness he's still under 2 and flies free!I knew I would feel SO much better having him with me than worrying about him constantly. I'm so glad I brought him. Besides his ears hurting him like crazy on the flight over and much of the week-he was a doll! He is such a joy! 

Why did I go to Utah? 

No, it's not b/c I love the cold and just had to hit the slopes. I went out to train a new jeweler for my Premier Designs Jewelery Business. DeDe Griesmyer, my cousin by marriage, decided to become a jeweler so I flew out to conduct her training show. She did great and will be fabulous! I had a lovely time too! She is absolutely fabulous and so is her cute family. I totally love them! She's a football fanatic and used to wear sweatshirts and sweat pants everyday. Teeheehee. :) Now she wears earrings, necklaces, and bracelets. She ROCKS! I love her personality too. It's kinda hard to pinpoint or sum it up with just one or two adjectives. You know like people give me: "OCD, neat freak, dramatic, etc, etc" She is kind and thoughtful of others and their feelings while being independent and not caring what others think of her. She is loving and nurturing to her kids and other people's children but lets them do their own thing and roam free.  I learned a lot from her this past week. The biggest thing I learned is to let go. I want to give up the 'messy house is bad' frame of mind. Ok, I really cannot function if my house is messy or trashed but I can let it get messy to ensure the happiness of my family and friends. I mean, I love when my kids are home and feel peaceful and calm but when there are others in the house too, I feel responsible for them. I must watch them at all times! I worry over the state of the house and things getting broken or damaged. I know many moms who can easily just let loads of kids come over and never bat an eye about it. I watch them. Not to get them into trouble but b/c I feel like they are my responsibility and they need to be safe. I can't just go to my room and get on the computer if my kids have company over. This makes me limit my kids from having people over if I have things to do. But here's the catch: I would rather them be here than anywhere else. I want this to be their safe haven. So, I have decided to be more embracing and let things go a little more. It will take me a while but I am determined to get there. Thank DeDe for teaching me this ultra important concept. You see, EVERY kid in DeDe's neighborhood hangs out at her house. Kids call her if they miss the bus in the morning, they come over to chat with her, they eat her food, they make jokes and laugh with her, they call her Mom. She has created a safe place for these kids. Because of that, her own kids are always at her house. What a blessing! I want that too. 

About Utah:

It truly is a different world out there. It's Mormon country. This thrilled me! I told DeDe she  had to take me "Mormon shopping". I don't like to online shop. (Aren't I weird!?!) I have to see it, feel it, and all that jazz before I'll buy something. Anyways, they have Deseret Book on every corner just about, not to mention LDS books at Wal-Mart! How cool is that?! Their grocery stores have huge emergency preparedness aisles and food storage stocked aisles. People out here are like, "food storage? what's that? Won't Obama just give us food"? (Ooooohhhh!!! Did I really just go there?! HAHAHA! Yes, I did!!!) 

Anyways, I digress: Ok, so there's missionary malls, and just about everything LDS you could want. There's a ward building on literally every corner and a temple 4 blocks up the hill from DeDe's house. How BLESSED are they??? When I told my husband about this and how cool it was he asked me if I wanted to live there. To which I replied. No way! 

Why do you ask? They do not know what they have. Everyone is LDS. They are immersed in this culture and do not seem to be as committed or as strong as the people out here. I liked being different in school. I liked having to stand up and say, "I don't drink." I want my kids to have to stand up as well. I want them to be 'peculiar' people. I think this gives them character. I think it will only benefit them in the long run. Now, yes I know that sometimes it is just too hard for some kids to withstand peer pressure out here in the 'field' but kids in Utah fall too! What makes it worse is that all their friends are LDS and fall or are the ones dragging them down! At least out here you know where people stand. You're either hot or cold. It's pretty easy to tell which. Maybe I'm wrong about this but I just know from my experience of living in the Bible belt. I was one of like 5-10 Mormons in my entire high school at any period of the 4 yrs I was there. I was different. Everyone knew I was Mormon. Everyone knew my standards. Everyone knew and respected that! They'd ask questions. The truly huge bible thumpers would try to get me to "convert and see the err of my ways" but mostly they helped me stand for what I believed in. I remember being at a party and I was very depressed. I decided it was time to try a beer. I couldn't believe no one would give me one! My ex boyfriend was there and some of my other friends and they saw to it that NO one give me anything to drink! Boy was I blessed that day. I can't imagine what would have happened if they had not cared and let me do something I would forever regret. Hopefully my boys will not put themselves in a situation like that but if they do, I hope they can stand strong and their friends are respectful enough to help them. BUT since the parties are gonna be at my house, because I'll be the coolest Mom ever, there's nothing to worry about right?!? :)

Wow! What a long post this turned out to be.I'll upload the pics tomorrow. I'm tired!

Yep, I learned a lot of new things and I had a good time and I'm happy to be home. Even though it's been a whirlwind of no sleep, surgery, and dr visits. BUt that is for another post!